I had gathered all this information before my visit to Makkah in 2009. I have been meaning to share this with every one. Jazakallah to the person who created all this fascinating work. I can imagine it took a very long time to put together as it took me a whole day to put into a document form. it is a total of 87 paages with images.

Highlights on History Of The Kabah

Its actual history started when Allah, the Almighty, honoured it by sending Abraham, the Father of the Prophets (peace be upon him), to build the Ancient House and settle with his family in the heart of this peninsula. Makkah, at that time an arid area, was designated as Umm UI Qura (Mother of Cities).

The offspring of Ismail Ibn Ibrahim (peace be upon them) multiplied after they had raised the foundations of the Sacred House. This arid valley was changed, becoming the direction of the hearts and the place of assembly for Muslims, it nourished their spirits and refreshed their souls and fruits were brought to them from all parts of the world.

Allah, the Supreme, selected from the people of Makkah and the offspring of Abraham (peace be upon him), the seal of His Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (blessings and peace be upon him). The Prophet(blessings and peace be upon him) called to monotheism, and from Makkah Al-Mukarramah to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, to the borders of the Arabian Peninsula, the call for righteousness poured forth to echo around the world.

It is said that the Holy Site on which the Ancient Divine House was built is the centre of the earth and is the place from which the earth was extended to a wider expanse. In a book entitled `Al-Maslak Al-Mutaqasit fi Al-Mansak Al-Mutawasit', Mulla Ali Qari mentioned the glorification of the Holy Site,

quoting Mujahid (may his soul rest in peace) who was the chief interpreter of the Holy Qur'an.

"Verily, when Allah, the Almighty, created His Throne on the water two thousand years before the creation of the earth and the sky, He cast a look on

the water, and manifested Himself on the air. The water was turbulent and there emerged from it a rising smoke from which the sky was created. Also

there appeared on the surface of the water a piece or a twinkling light in the spot from which the earth came into being. It was then extended to a wider

expanse from its sides and borders. That is why Makkah is called Umm Ul Qura, as that piece of land looked like a plate oscillating and swaying all the while and did not come to stand still till heavy mountains were pierced into it like stakes. Of them the first mountain was Jabal Abu Qubais, and this came to be known as the `Mother of Mountains'. The Holy Ka'bah was then built on that site".

It has been called the Holy Ka'bah because of its cube shape. This name has been given to it on account of its elevation and projection. It is also called the Ancient House, Al-Bait Al-Haram and Al-Bannia. It is further known as Abraham's Building and Qibla because we turn our faces towards it in our prayers. Still, another name is Al-Hamsaa, and Quraishites were traced back to it and hence known as Al-Hums. Furthermore, it is called the Continuously-Visited House based on two views, one of which refers to the interpretation of the Qur'anic verse: 4 the Continuously-Visited House , and the other view is that there exists in heaven a Sacred House directly above the Holy Ka'bah.

The glories of the Sacred House are uncountable because they are infinite. Among these, the following are mentioned:
 It is the first place of worship for people on earth, and the Qibla towards which people turn their faces in prayers. It is also the first house built by the Angels, Adam and Abraham (peace be upon them). It is further the first house on earth circumambulated after the Deluge.
 The Sacred House of Allah is the assembly and the return of all people. They frequently visit it for Hajj or Umrah or for securing a reward or repenting or repeating Hajj and Umrah. Moreover, other glories may include a retreat to it for worship and residence in the vicinity of its sacred building. It may also help people to improve or reform their secular or religious affairs. Thus, they eagerly return to it for all the afore-mentioned glories combined and also because it is the assembly and the return of all people for all the time.
 One of its glories is that whosoever attends it will get a reward or a benefit or secure a place in Paradise. If anybody visits it with the sole aim of prayers, he will definitely have all his sins erased as if he were a newly-born child. If anyone intends to visit it devotedly, and dies on his way to it, he will be given a place in Paradise without being questioned.
 The glorification of the Sacred House by the Islamic nations is the reason for the continuous benevolence that has been bestowed upon them. The absence of their glorification of the Holy Ka'bah will lead to their total destruction.
 Circumambulating the Sacred House seven times is equivalent to manumission of a slave. The circumambulators are the object of Allah's pleasure which He speaks about to His Angels. Repeated circumambulation is, therefore, a means of remission of sins to the extent that one who repeats circumambulation is remitted of his sins as if he were a newly-born child. Circumambulators should then adhere to uttering words of praise, supplication and acclamation.
 Those who circumambulate the Holy Ka'bah in difficult climatic conditions such as rainfall or extreme heat of the sun will be befittingly rewarded. This incentive is offered so that the Holy Ka'bah may be circumambulated all the year round.
 Allah, the Almighty, satisfied Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) by specifying the direction of the Qibla to him. Allah, the Supreme, says: "We see the turning of your face (for guidance), to the heavens: now shall we turn you to a Qibla that shall please you. Turn then your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever you are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the book know well that that is the truth from their Lord, nor is Allah unmindful of what they do." ( 2:144)
 Finally, Allah appointed the Ka'bah, the Sacred House, as an establishment for men, that is, the centre of their material and tangible system as well as their spiritual one from which they emerge and to which they return. It is the outstanding landmark that unifies their objectives, destinies and life affairs, from which radiates the light of monotheism which Muslims transmit to all parts of the world

• The Holy Ka'bah has been built twelve times if we consider the building from the foundations and comprehensive renovations.

• The Holy Ka'bah was first constructed by the Angels (peace be upon them), then Adam and Seth (peace be upon them). Abraham and Ismail (peace be upon them). Then Al-Amaliqah, Jurhum Quraish. Abdullah Ibn AI-Zubah (may Allah be pleased with them). Then AI-Hajjtrj IN Yusuf AI-Thaqafi. Sultan Wind Khan and, last but not least, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah grant him success).

• The Angels (peace be upon them) had constructed the Holy Ka'bah to be directly underneath its celestial counter-part, the Most-Frequented House in Heaven.

• It has been said that Adam (peace be upon him) had constructed the Holy Ka'bah from the stones of five mountains brought by the Angels. The five mountains were: Tor Sina Mountain, Mt. Hira', Tur Zeeta, Mt. Lebanon and AI-Judi.

• In addition to the five mountains from which the Holy Ka'bah was constructed, others mentioned in history books are: AI-Jabal AI-Ahmar. Mi. Thabeer, Mi. Radwa and Mt. Warqan.

• It was said that the edifice by Adam (peace be upon him) and that of the Angels (peace be upon them) was the same, Adam built it with the aid of the Angels.

• Abraham and Ismail (peace be upon them) constructed the House over the foundations of Adam as instructed by Allah, the Almighty.

• The structure by Abraham (peace be upon him) was in the 'Radhm' form, that is, without mortar or adhesives. He used to build a 'sail' or one row of stones every day. On reaching the site of the Black Stone, he asked Ismail (peace be upon him) to give him a stone to lay as a starting point for the circumambulation then Gabriel brought him the Black Stone, before his son brought one.

• The general shape of the Holy Ka'bah, constructed by Abraham (peace be upon him), was rectangular and nine cubits high. The eastern side was thirty-two cubits long, thirty-one cubits to the west, twenty cubits to the south and twenty-two cubits to the north. He set two openings for two doors adjacent to the floor, and a pit was dug to be used as a coffer. He did not roof it. In addition, he built a .semi-circular bower on the north side to shelter the sheep of Ismail (peace be upon him). This is what is now called AI-Hijir.

• The structure by Abraham (peace be upon him) is approximately four thousand years old.

• When Quraish decided to reconstruct the Holy Ka'bah after its being burnt and destroyed by rain and floods, illicit earnings were not spent for the work. Because lawful money was insufficient, the building was confined to a small part adjacent to Hijir Ismail (peace be upon him).

Quraish built the Holy Ka'bah to the height of eighteen cubits. They roofed it over, fixed a door on the eastern side and set up a short wall round Hijir Ismail (peace be upon him).

• Quraish divided the Holy Ka'bah by its four sides and each side was further divided into fourths, and each tribe drew lots for their section of the construction.

• Timber was bought by Quraish from the owners of a Roman ship, wrecked at AI-Shua'iba's port. One of its crew was hired to assist them in rebuilding the Holy Ka'bah in the Syrian fashion.

• The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) contributed with Quraish to the reconstruction of the Holy Ka'bah. He also settled the dispute that took place on restoring the Black Stone to its original place.

• Quraish built the Holy Ka'bah to the height of eighteen cubits. They roofed it over, fixed a door on the eastern side and set up a short wall round Hijir Ismail (peace be upon him). The interior of the Holy Ka'bah was decorated and an interior staircase was erected as well as six columns to support the ceiling.

• Abdullah Ibn AI-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them) rebuilt the Holy Kabah after it had been burnt and ruined by catapult-fire in the era of Yazeed Ibn Muawiyah. He reconstructed it in the same style that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) had originally wanted. This was confirmed in a Hadith narrated by A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her). It was cube shaped and constructed on the foundation stones of Abraham (peace be upon him). He set up a door each on the eastern and western sides, in addition, he added three wooden pillars to support the two ceilings, which are extant today. The height was increased to twenty-seven cubits.

• The work on the Holy Ka'bah by AI-Hajjaj was not one of renovation, but it was a demolition of some of the additions made by Ibn Al-Zubair. He then rebuilt it according to the dimensions of Quraish.

• The construction by Sultan Murad Khan was started in 1040 H., directly after the Holy Ka'bah was pulled down by the heavy rains and floods in 1039 H., water had reached the middle of its wall. The work took about six months to finish. After twenty years, some cracks were visible in the wall of the Holy Ka'bah. Sultan Ahmad Khan then surrounded the Holy Ka'bah with a decorated, gold, metal belt to protect it from further ruin.

• The most comprehensive, overall renovation of the Holy Ka'bah was made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz. This will be dealt with in detail later

• The first spot of Earth Allah created was the site of the Holy Ka'bah. It appeared on the water, forming a nucleus under which the earth was formed.

• The Holy Ka'bah was the first House of worship appointed for people on earth, and has been constructed by the Angels. It is the direction for worship of Allah, the Almighty, and it is characterized by right guidance and benediction. It is a symbol of human unity where all direct their hearts towards a united, single direction.

• The Holy Ka'bah was the first place, since the creation of the earth and heavens, in which Allah prohibited committing sins.

• It was the first house built with stone on earth.

• The first circumambulators of the Holy Ka'bah were the Angels who constructed it.

• The first pilgrims of the Sacred House were the Angels.

• The first house founded on earth by Adam (peace be upon him) was the Sacred House. He was the first human being who founded the house for people.

• Seth (peace be upon him) was the first person to renew the Sacred House.

• Quraish were the first to alter the building of the Holy Ka'bah area-wise. This took place five years before the mission of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). Abdullah Ibn AI-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them) restored it to its original area in 65 H., but Al-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf AI-Thaqafi brought it back to its status during the Quraishi era.

• The first person to set up a door that could be locked in the Holy Ka'bah was Tubba' As'ad Al-Himiari. Anush Ibn Seth (peace be upon him) and Jurhum were believed to have also done the same.

• The first person to roof-over the Holy Ka'bah was Qusai Ibn Kilab. Then it was roofed over again by Quraish five years before the mission of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him).

• The first person to cover the Holy Ka'bah with a partial Kiswah was Ismail (peace be upon him).

• The first person to cover the Holy Ka'bah with full Kiswah was Tubba As'ad AI Himairi, who believed in the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) four centuries prior to his mission.

• The first person who built houses around the Holy Ka'bah was Qusai Ibn Kilab, about one hundred and thirty years before Hijfah. People did not use to build houses in the vicinity of the Holy Ka'bah, but on the outskirts of Makkah AI-Mukarramah. Those who built their houses around the Holy Ka'bah were known as Quraish Al-Bawatin.

• The first person to erect idols inside and round the Holy Ka'bah was Amer Ibn Luhay Al-Khuzaie, who brought Hubal from Ardh Al-Jezira in AI-Sham, and put it over the pit (the coffer of the Holy Ka'bah). He was the first to call for the worship of idols in Makkah Al-Mukarramah.

• The first person to fix a waterspout (for rain drainage) at the top of the Holy Ka'bah was Abdullah Ibn Al-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them). It has been replaced several times.

• The first person to construct a cube-shaped house, like the Holy Ka'bah, was Hameed Ibn Zuhair. Before that, houses were round, differing from that of the Holy Ka'bah.

• Abdul Muttalib Ibn Hashim, the grandfather of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) was the first to beautify the Holy Ka'bah. He put in it two golden gazelles, which he had found in the well of Zamzam. He also decorated the door of the Holy Ka'bah with the weapons he had found with the two gazelles.

• The first person to take off his shoes and slippers on entering the Holy Ka'bah, glorifying and respecting it, was Al-Waled Ibn AI-Mugheera. This happened after Quraish had finished building the Holy Ka'bah, and ever since this has become a customary practice when entering this sacred place.

• The first obligatory prayer performed at the Holy Ka'bah after the night of Miraj of Prophet Muhammad's ascension to the seven heavens, was the five obligatory prayers. Gabriel led the prayer accompanied by the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). The five prayers were performed opposite the middle of the eastern side of the Holy Ka'bah to the right of its door.

• The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) was the first to wash the Holy Ka'bah on the day of victory, the conquest of Makkah, after its expulsion of idols and its purification.

• Bilal Ibn Rabah was the first to call the adhan for prayer over the Holy Ka'bah. This was also on the day of victory in Makkah. Some polytheists winked at each other, trying to humiliate Bilal because he was a former slave, but Allah, the Almighty, supported him by revealing the following Qur'anic verse: "O mankind! We created, you from a single (pair), of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you might know each other, (Not that you should despise each other). Verily, the most honoured of you, in the sight of Allah, is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things) " (49:13)

• The first person to pave the floor of the Holy Ka'bah and cover the walls with marble was AtWaleed Ibn Abdul Malik. The marble was white, green and red.

• The Abbasid Caliph, Abu Ja'far AI-Mansour, was the first to lay marble on Hijir Ismail (peace be upon him) in 140 H., and several replacements have followed since. • Sultan Murad Khan was the first to completely renovate Hijir Ismail (peace be upon him). Sultan Abdul Majeed Khan reconstructed it in 1260 H.

• The first person to fire on the Holy Ka'bah with catapults was AI-Husayn Ibn Numair, who came with his army to tight against Ibn AI-Zubair, as commanded by Yazeed Ibn Muawiyah in 64 H.

• The first section of the Holy Ka bah, which collapsed as a result of torrential flooding in 1039 H., was the wall constructed by AI-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf AI-Thaqafi.

• The first Imam or Wali to touch the Black Stone before and after prayer was Abdullah Ibn AI-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them). Other rulers recommended that and followed suit.

• The first to touch the four corners of the Holy Ka'bah on circumambulation was Ibn Al-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them). He justified his originally not touching the two Shami corners on the assumption that they had not been built on the foundations of Abraham (peace be upon him). This is because Quraish reduced the total area from the foundations of Abraham (peace be upon him) on the north of AI-Hijir.

• Khalid Ibn Abdullah Al-Qasri was the first to order Muslims to stand in rows circling the Holy Ka'bah while praying. This was in 75 H., during the reign of Caliph Abdul Malik Ibn Marwan. Before this, they used to pray just behind Abraham's Station.

• The first to erect an umbrella for the Holy Ka'bah was the Commander of the Faithful, Ja'far AIMutawakil Ala Allah. It was a curtain or an awning put on the tops of windows or doors to protect them from the sun. Sometimes it was a sort of ornament or decoration contributed by the wealthy. It was usually set on the top of the door of the Holy Ka'bah on the sixth of Dhul Hijjah and taken off on the eighth (the day of Tarwiya). Rulers used to boast about decoration. It was twenty-five centimetres multiplied by three metres, and was decorated with jewels and sapphires.

• The first postal stamps which carried the picture of the Holy Ka'bah were printed in 1384 H. They were issued in four, six and ten qarshe denominations.

The Holy Ka'bah bah has four corners in the following order from the starting point of circumambulation: the Black Stone. the Iraqi corner, the Shami corner (sometimes called AI-Maghrabi corner), then the Yemeni corner. The word rukn means the corner of the Black Stone, and the two corners mean the Black Stone and the Yemeni corners. During the time of Abraham (peace be upon him) there was a semi-circle between the Iraqi and Shami corners in the shape of Hijir Ismail (peace be upon him). There were four corners during the era of Abdullah Ibn AI-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them), and they were always touched during circumambulation until his death. The four corners were part of the Holy Ka'bah together with Hijir Ismail (peace be upon him).

There were holes that brought light to the interior of the Holy Ka'bah. Abdullah Ibn At-Zubair fitted four skylights in the roof of the Holy Ka'bah, and another at the gate of the staircase leading to the roof. These skylights had marble frames. and lasted up to the year 843 H., when they were eliminated by AI-Malik AI-Ashraf Bresby in order to protect the Holy Ka'bah from rain. (14, v. 5, p. 38)

The first waterspout was fixed by Quraish when they roofed over the Holy Ka'bah. It was made to drain into Hijir Ismail (peace be upon him). Abdullah Ibn AI-Zubair and AI-llajjaj Ibn Yusuf fitted similar waterspouts. AI-Walced Ibn Abdul Malik added some gilded tin plates to it. Caliphs and wealthy Muslims changed the waterspout several times and the last waterspout was presented by Sultan Abdul Majeed Khan in 1273 H. King Saud repaired it and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques renovated it.
The Water spout on the top of the Kabah

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